$1500 HD Plasma/DLP/LCD TV's... Comments, thoughts, suggestions...

[jAZ]

I've been looking for a new HD TV... I've got a $1500 budget and I want at least 42" screen.

I'm a complete neophyte on these things and I only know what I've been able to pick up in the last few days...

I've learned that with any projection screen (LCD, DLP, etc), I'll need to replace the bulbs in 3-4 years. Also, I guess they have side angle problems to some degree. But they are cheaper than the straight flat-panel like plasma and LCD.

I'm grateful for any thoughts in general. I'll be posting a few deals/models I've come across online or in the store. Any comments on those deals is welcome too.

[jAZ]

When I start looking at the specs, I start getting confused because I have not idea what's important and what's just mumbo-jumbo...

http://www.samsclub.com/shopping/nav...55&prDeTab=2#A

42" Akai HD Plasma TV ($1400)

Display:
TV system
Screen size: 42”
Pixel resolution: 1,024 (H) x 1,024 (V) native resolution for optimal HDTV performance
Contrast ratio: 3,000:1
Aspect ratio: 16:9
Brightness: 1,400 cd/m2
Viewing angle: 160° H/V
Response time:
HDTV compatible: 480p, 720p, 1080i input
Picture:

Digital comb filter: Digital 2D
Film mode pull down conversion: Yes
Color temperature control: Yes
“GAMMA” correction: Yes
Wide mode: Video: 5 modes (fill all, 4:3, letter box wide, anamorphic); PC: 5 modes (fill all, force 4:3, letter box, wide, anamorphic)
Audio:

Audio power: 20W
Audio outputs: 10W x 2
Tone control
Convenience:

OSD language: English
Closed caption decoder: Yes
V-chip parental control: Yes
VGA port provided for connection to computer
Input Terminals:

HDMI input: HDMI connector x1
S-video input: Mini din 4 pin x1
Composite video input: RCA x1
Component video input (480i, 480p, 720p, 1080i) RCA x 2 sets
Stereo audio input: RCA x 5 sets
Analog RGB input: D-sub 15 pin x1
RS-232 input: D-sub 9 pin x1
Output Terminals:

Audio output: RCA x1
Power:

Power source: 120V, 60Hz
Power consumption: 300w
Dimensions and Weight:

Dimensions: 29.7"H x 42.2"W x 5.2"D
Weight: 75 lbs.

[Logical]

Originally Posted by jAZ

When I start looking at the specs, I start getting confused because I have not idea what's important and what's just mumbo-jumbo...

...

You should never buy a TV based on Specs. The way to buy is to view the pictures (I suggest taking a DVD and comparing the same show on each type). In the end what will make you happiest is what you feel has the best picture. Then you want to decide on features that are must haves. Finally IMO the best combination of picture, features and meeting your budget is what you should buy.

[Miles]

Originally Posted by Logical

You should never buy a TV based on Specs. The way to buy is to view the pictures (I suggest taking a DVD and comparing the same show on each type). In the end what will make you happiest is what you feel has the best picture. Then you want to decide on features that are must haves. Finally IMO the best combination of picture, features and meeting your budget is what you should buy.

Excellent advice. What looks best to you is what is most important.

[Calcountry]

Originally Posted by Miles

Excellent advice. What looks best to you is what is most important.

Trust him, he learned the hardway.

[Valiant]

Originally Posted by jAZ

When I start looking at the specs, I start getting confused because I have not idea what's important and what's just mumbo-jumbo...

http://www.samsclub.com/shopping/nav...55&prDeTab=2#A

42" Akai HD Plasma TV ($1400)

Display:
TV system
Screen size: 42”
Pixel resolution: 1,024 (H) x 1,024 (V) native resolution for optimal HDTV performance
Contrast ratio: 3,000:1
Aspect ratio: 16:9
Brightness: 1,400 cd/m2
Viewing angle: 160° H/V
Response time:
HDTV compatible: 480p, 720p, 1080i input
Picture:

Digital comb filter: Digital 2D
Film mode pull down conversion: Yes
Color temperature control: Yes
“GAMMA” correction: Yes
Wide mode: Video: 5 modes (fill all, 4:3, letter box wide, anamorphic); PC: 5 modes (fill all, force 4:3, letter box, wide, anamorphic)
Audio:

Audio power: 20W
Audio outputs: 10W x 2
Tone control
Convenience:

OSD language: English
Closed caption decoder: Yes
V-chip parental control: Yes
VGA port provided for connection to computer
Input Terminals:

HDMI input: HDMI connector x1
S-video input: Mini din 4 pin x1
Composite video input: RCA x1
Component video input (480i, 480p, 720p, 1080i) RCA x 2 sets
Stereo audio input: RCA x 5 sets
Analog RGB input: D-sub 15 pin x1
RS-232 input: D-sub 9 pin x1
Output Terminals:

Audio output: RCA x1
Power:

Power source: 120V, 60Hz
Power consumption: 300w
Dimensions and Weight:

Dimensions: 29.7"H x 42.2"W x 5.2"D
Weight: 75 lbs.

I would stay away from akai and that price point on plasma's.. You are asking for trouble after your 30day return guarantee...

DLP's will give you the best bang for your buck at that price range for quality... You can go ahead and get the plasma just to say you have one, but you have a great chance of having problems with it...

[jAZ]

Originally Posted by Valiant

I would stay away from akai and that price point on plasma's.. You are asking for trouble after your 30day return guarantee...

DLP's will give you the best bang for your buck at that price range for quality... You can go ahead and get the plasma just to say you have one, but you have a great chance of having problems with it...

So last week it was shopping around online. Yesterday I visited Circuit City, Best Buy and Sam's Club. That's when I settled on either the Akai above or the Samsung DLP 46" also above.

Today I stopped in at CostCo and I might have added a new front runner.

It turns out that CostCo's return policy is unbelivable. They have an unlimited (time) 100% satisfaction guarantee return policy. If anything breaks (1 year, 5 years, 10 years) they will take the product back (with receipt) and credit you the original purchase price.

That gives me a lot more confidence in a lower price Plasma, knowing if it burns out, dies, looks weird or whatever, I can just bring it back.

So while I was there I found the Vizio 42" Plasma that's $1499. It's pretty decent and the online comments have been good-to-great. The image quality was fanstistic in the store. Noticibly better than the Samsung DLP which they also had.

I'm poking around now to make sure this is the best thing for me, but at this point its looking pretty good to me.

[Kerberos]

Originally Posted by jAZ

So last week it was shopping around online. Yesterday I visited Circuit City, Best Buy and Sam's Club. That's when I settled on either the Akai above or the Samsung DLP 46" also above.

When I was selling TV's for a living MOST of the Akia models were made by Samsung.

When you called the warranty center they answered the phone as Samsung so that pretty much tells you who the manufacturer is!

Akai was a good affordable TV when we were selling rear projections.

DLP is a much better picture and is a good choice. If I were going to go with a new HD TV right now I would opt for the DLP just because of the prices that have come down considerably since I was selling them.

Good luck with your new purchase!

.

[KevB]

Originally Posted by jAZ

So last week it was shopping around online. Yesterday I visited Circuit City, Best Buy and Sam's Club. That's when I settled on either the Akai above or the Samsung DLP 46" also above.

Today I stopped in at CostCo and I might have added a new front runner.

It turns out that CostCo's return policy is unbelivable. They have an unlimited (time) 100% satisfaction guarantee return policy. If anything breaks (1 year, 5 years, 10 years) they will take the product back (with receipt) and credit you the original purchase price.

That gives me a lot more confidence in a lower price Plasma, knowing if it burns out, dies, looks weird or whatever, I can just bring it back.

So while I was there I found the Vizio 42" Plasma that's $1499. It's pretty decent and the online comments have been good-to-great. The image quality was fanstistic in the store. Noticibly better than the Samsung DLP which they also had.

I'm poking around now to make sure this is the best thing for me, but at this point its looking pretty good to me.

I spoke of the Costco return policy in a previous post, and it's the real deal (as I've used it). I returned a plasma 5 months after purchase with the receipt, and they took it back no questions asked.

As for the TV.....I purchased the 50" Vizio from Costco when I returned the 42" Maxent. The 50" Vizio received very good professional reviews, and the AVS forum also had very good things to say. I've got it hanging on my wall at home and it's amazing. Blacks are very good....watching a movie like Batman Begins, which is very dark, and it performed very well. The 50" is going for the ridiculous price of $1969 right now, so if you can up your budget a little, I'd highly recommend it. This same TV was $2600 only 4 months ago. It's also got 2 HDMI inputs, which is very helpful.

[jAZ]

Originally Posted by KevB

It's also got 2 HDMI inputs, which is very helpful.

The 42 that I got only has 1 which isn't great, but it came with component inputs, which was what they were using at CostCo and it looked good. My issue with HDMI/Vizio is that I hooked up the new HD up-convert DVD player I bought using the HDMI port, and I'm able to get the video to work, but it doesn't have any sound. If I plug in the optical cable into the tuner, then I get both, but I thought the HDMI was supposed to carry both audio and video signals. I'm not sure why it's not working.

Any thoughts?

[svuba]

Originally Posted by Valiant

I would stay away from akai and that price point on plasma's.. You are asking for trouble after your 30day return guarantee...

DLP's will give you the best bang for your buck at that price range for quality... You can go ahead and get the plasma just to say you have one, but you have a great chance of having problems with it...

Plasma hater eh? No need to justify your purchase by spreading misinformation.

Exactly what kind of data do you have that would suggest that the Akai TVs have a high failure rate? Has there been some documented history of people with failures of these tvs? Do you have some personal history with Akai plasma TVs. "you have a great chance of having problems with it" - - Exactly what facts are you basing this opinion on?

It is funny that there seems to be a group of plasma haters out there who spread misinformation about the technology, for instance one of the more common misconceptions is that the screen life is short, which may have been true for the very very early models, but the screenlife has been 60,000 hours on most plasmas for a long time now (6 hours per day for 27 years) yet you still hear people advising others not to buy plasma due to low screen life.

I prefer plasma (do not own one) over projection models because of the viewing angle problem. My BIL bought a 50" LCD projection, and the picture is really nice if you are sitting on the couch at the same level as the screen, but if you sit on the floor the picture looks horrible. He had a bunch of people over to watch a movie, and half of them couldn't really see it because there was only so much coach space.

[Halfcan]

Only tv advice I can give you is-don't throw a half full beer at the screen when the Refs screw the Chiefs out of a sure TD!

[Miles]

At that price point DLP would be the best value. Unless you are really sold on the plasma look/compact size, I would probably suggest avoiding them in that range. The inexpensive ones are geting better but they still do not have as sharp of image as DLP for the same cost.

You could likely find something like this on sale at your 1500 budget.

http://www.onecall.com/ProductDetail...=true&id=31421

Something in that range now:

http://www.onecall.com/ProductDetail...=true&id=31420

[jAZ]

Originally Posted by Miles

At that price point DLP would be the best value. Unless you are really sold on the plasma look/compact size, I would probably suggest avoiding them in that range. The inexpensive ones are geting better but they still do not have as sharp of image as DLP for the same cost.

You could likely find something like this on sale at your 1500 budget.

http://www.onecall.com/ProductDetail...=true&id=31421

Something in that range now:

http://www.onecall.com/ProductDetail...=true&id=31420

I've seen both of these at Amazon. I've been looking at them. One question based on this comment would be... what's the distinction between sharpness and brightness and contrast? And what do I look for in terms of specification to compare sharpness with other sets? Anything?

[Miles]

Originally Posted by jAZ

I've seen both of these at Amazon. I've been looking at them. One question based on this comment would be... what's the distinction between sharpness and brightness and contrast? And what do I look for in terms of specification to compare sharpness with other sets? Anything?

You may check some of the FAQs at at AVS for a better explination than I can give you.

I really don't know the how well those stats compare across the technology lines. Bascially my opinon, which may be off, is that the specs are not necissarily what makes for a good picture. Its really the sum of the finished product and its quality.